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School of Communications publishes Fall 2012 issue of research journal

The School of Communications has published the Fall 2012 issue of the Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, featuring student work on topics ranging from social media to crisis communications.

The Fall 2012 issue contains nine research papers authored by School of Communications students. The lead article focuses on the corporate use of Facebook fan pages to build brand loyalty and purchase intentions. Other articles in this issue include how people experiencing homelessness use social media, the use of advergames to curb childhood obesity, a case study of environmental marketplace advocacy, crisis management in the Tiger Woods scandal, the rise of digital couponing, the anime phenomenon, image restoration in political sex scandals and media coverage of sex trafficking.

Accompanying the online articles are video introductions by the authors, who explain their research methods and their interest in the topics they chose to study.

Dr. Byung Lee, associate professor in the School of Communications, serves as journal editor. He assembled an editorial board of 25 Communications faculty members who participated in the multiple blind-review process to select the best student work.

In his editor’s note, Lee cited a recent New York Times article that discusses two types of learning: paint-by-numbers and connect-the-dots.

“Students who paint-by-numbers always require the guiding hand of a teacher to tell them exactly what they must do, while students who learn to connect the dots learn to think critically and seek solutions to new problems and situations,” Lee wrote. “A literature review requires students to read as much as possible about a topic and select the most valuable works for support. Students learn to detect the dots buried in the literature and in previous research studies.”

The Elon Journal began in Spring 2010, with spring and fall editions each year. The Fall 2012 journal marks the sixth edition.

“Every issue amazes me with the breadth of topics that students pursue and the different methodologies they employ to answer the research questions,” said Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications. “No question, the many impacts of social media on the way we communicate has spawned a number of research questions in recent years. I like the way our students doggedly pursue these questions.”

The Council on Undergraduate Research catalogs 90 student research journals in the nation, and the Elon Journal is the only one that focuses on undergraduate student research in journalism, media and communications.